The Nursing Department is committed to illness prevention and health promotion through awareness. November is Radon Action Month, so now is the time to raise awareness on this carcinogenic gas.

We take precautions against accidental deaths by putting on our seatbelts, wearing lifejackets, or ensuring that our smoke detectors are working – we should also be testing our homes for radon.

Next to smoking, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer and is linked to causing the deaths of 3,200 Canadians every year. It is important to note that all homes have some level of radon and talking to your patients about the need to test their homes is an important part of preventing radon-related cancer.

Most radon problems are easily resolved. Radon testing can be completed by the homeowner following the purchase of a test kit from a hardware store. Please take the time to talk with your patients, colleagues, friends, and family about the health effects of radon.

McMaster University, together with Health Canada, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and the Clean Air Partnership, have designed a free, accredited program, Radon: Is it in your patients’ home, in order to provide you and your colleagues with reliable, evidence-based information.

It’s easy to access and free at radon.machealth.ca

It only takes one hour to complete – which you can do in one sitting, or multiple sessions.

You can also download the Radon Communication Toolkit here for additional resources to help spread the word.

For more information, contact Jennifer Otto at umotto@myumanitoba.ca